Advanced collaboration tools and secure communication systems have made it easier than ever for teams to work from anywhere. As a result, remote work is gradually becoming the norm: Almost two-thirds of US organizations offer flexible work arrangements, like hybrid or fully offsite models. Plus, companies with these incentives perform better than the competition that mandates in-office work.
But remote work comes with its own set of challenges, especially for HR leaders. Managing productivity, compliance, and expectations becomes more complex with distributed teams. To keep operations smooth when offering flexible work arrangements, organizations need a remote work policy.
Explore what a remote work policy is, what to include, key do’s and don’ts, and why having clear guidelines is a must for companies with remote employees.
What is a remote work policy?
A remote work policy is a set of guidelines for managers and employees working outside of the office. The rules and expectations outlined in the policy govern how people should use their time and equipment when “dialing in” from an offsite location, like their homes. The policy also sets boundaries around job duties and recommendations for communication.
Remote work policies protect companies against liabilities and enable them to promote productive, respectful working conditions from afar. For remote employees, these guidelines encourage healthy work-life balance and establish expectations for the quality of deliverables.
Does every company need a remote work policy?
Companies with a fully remote workforce or the option to work from home should have a policy to guide these arrangements. The policy provides structure and standards that both managers and employees must honor to keep the working arrangement fair. These rules also help the company yield results comparable to those of on-site teams.
In the absence of a remote work policy, organizations may encounter:
- Security risks: Without clear guidance on data security, employees may not uphold the same standards as they would under the supervision and strict governance of an on-site workplace.
- A drop in productivity: When working offsite, people face distractions they wouldn’t encounter in the office. This leads to reduced productivity, especially if leaders don’t set expectations for the quality and quantity of deliverables employees must produce while working remotely.
- Inconsistent standards across teams: Companies without a remote work policy end up applying distinct rules to different team members, leading to uneven and unfair experiences. For example, some employees may be allowed to work from home more frequently than others without a clear rationale.
6 things to include in a remote work policy
A strong remote work policy gives structure to hybrid, work from home, and work-from-anywhere arrangements by standardizing eligibility and expectations. Write an equitable policy by including the following six elements.
1. Eligibility criteria
For organizations that aren’t fully remote but follow a flexible or hybrid work arrangement, it’s important to outline the conditions for a home office request.
Define how often employees can work from home, whether it’s a set number of days per week or per month. Also clarify the process for notifying their supervisor, including how much time advance notice is required to submit a remote work request.
2. Communication guidelines
Telecommuting implies using remote communication tools for collaboration, like asynchronous messaging tools or shared work management boards. The remote work policy should describe acceptable use of these platforms.
Establish rules for response times and keeping information confidential. For example, the company might ask employees to respond within an hour, or put up an “away from keyboard” message if they need to step out. Include data security guidelines, like not saving company documents on a personal hard drive, to protect sensitive data.
3. Work schedule and availability
A proven benefit of remote or hybrid work is improved work-life balance. The policy should protect that incentive while ensuring it doesn’t start to skew toward time off.
Determine work hours—whether a time range or a total number of work hours—when people must be online and available. Other availability guidelines overlap with communication expectations, such as setting an away message when unavailable or responding to messages within a defined time frame.
4. Equipment and tech support
Detail what equipment people can use to perform their work offsite, whether it’s a company-issued laptop and cell phone or their personal devices. Then define the usage rules and requirements for both. For example, you might state that employees can’t use company devices for personal use, or if they use a personal device, they must not save sensitive organizational data on it.
Also establish tech support guidelines, like whether employees are liable for servicing company-issued devices, or whether they must bring or send the equipment to the in-house tech support team for updates or repairs.
5. Security and data protection
Offsite work faces different security risks than in-office work. For example, a team member might connect their computer to an unsecured Wi-Fi network at a café or forget to install an anti-virus protection update, exposing company equipment and data to malicious actors.
Establish cybersecurity non-negotiables in the remote work policy, like requiring the use of secure Wi-Fi networks and multi-factor authentication. Encourage employees to promptly flag suspicious activity on their devices.
6. Performance expectations
Provide high-level guidance on performance expectations for remote work, like asking employees to meet the KPIs and deliverables their managers determine. Then, have leaders define and communicate the unique performance markers for each team member.
Support employee success by encouraging managers to frequently check in on processes, through a combination of team catch-ups and one-on-one meetings. Use collaborative work management tools—like virtual Kanban boards—to track tasks, so leaders quickly catch lagging or blocked tasks.
The do’s and don’ts of a remote work policy
Creating an effective remote work policy may take some trial and error, especially if your organization is new to this type of working arrangement. Build a more functional policy template from day one by adhering to these do’s and don’ts.
Do’s
Consider the following tips when writing and implementing this company policy.
- Personalize: While you should maintain standard guidelines for requesting work-from-home time and for using company equipment, it’s important to personalize deliverables and KPIs for each employee.
- Get employees to sign off: Asking employees to sign the remote work policy encourages them to read and understand its contents. Invite questions and remain open to suggestions on how to improve the policy.
- Provide the right tools: Don’t assume employees have professional-grade tech in their home workspace. Invest in company-issued gear for employees to use while working remotely and install adequate security protections on the devices. Encourage employees to request any tools that would help them perform tasks more effectively.
Don’ts
Avoid these missteps to drive better adoption of the flexible work policy:
- Don’t micromanage employees: Trust your team to deliver the same quality of work as they would in the office, and resist intervening until there’s a problem. Micromanaging tactics, like the use of monitoring software, feels like surveillance—not support. This level of scrutiny leads to stress and burnout, negatively affecting employee productivity and mental health.
- Don’t overlook legal and tax implications: If team members regularly work from home, confirm where they’re working from. Employees telecommuting from other states or countries may be subject to the labor laws of that region. Working from a different jurisdiction can also trigger complex tax obligations, including tax liability in multiple states or countries.
Make your remote work policy work across borders with Oyster
Creating a remote work policy is just one of the many HR hurdles that come with flexible work, especially when the team is spread across countries. Partnering with a global employment expert gives your People Ops team the clarity and support to build a remote work policy that works in every location you hire.
Oyster helps you scale your remote workforce by ensuring every hire has a compliant employment contract—no matter where they’re based. With payroll running in over 180 countries and 140 currencies, and expert guidance on international labor laws and taxation, you can confidently expand across borders and build a diverse, global team.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, engage, pay, manage, develop, and take care of a thriving distributed workforce. Oyster lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world—with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
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